Dingdong of all trades

Who says you can’t be hitting two birds with one stone or be in two places at the same time? Well, think again. Dingdong Dantes has the luxury to be the actor and director of GMA 7’s telefantasya Atlantika. He has successfully entwined the two, so to speak, with flying colors. A rare opportunity of being in front of the camera and working behind it.

"My role is challenging because I had to learn to scuba dive," says Dingdong of the requirements of playing Aquano, an Atlantikan senturyon whose mission is to locate the two missing princesses of Atlantika. "It is something I’m not used to doing. The experience is like jumping from a cliff in Boracay with a feeling of uncertainty and uneasiness." A little sacrifice that makes the project extra special to Dingdong.

Atlantika, says Dingdong, is his comfort zone. Yes, in a sense that he has worked many times over with most of the cast before. So, he only made a little adjustment to the stars if he had to. His rapport with Paolo Contis, Iza Calzado and Isabel Oli has started in previous GMA outings like Etheria and Encantadia. (Dingdong has also collaborated with Iza Calzado in Eternity, Moments of Love; and Isabel Oli and Paolo Contis in Moments of Love.)

As one of the directors of Atlantika, he is in close interaction with veterans like Celia Rodriguez, Mark Gil and Cherry Pie Picache.

"It’s a great experience because I get to direct them," says Dingdong. "(Ms. Cherry Pie) can deliver and give a scene a different interpretation."

"She’s getting better and better," describes Dingdong of the performance of Iza, his perennial on-screen partner.

Judging from his words on the cast of Atlantika, one can say that Dingdong is one director who prefers collaboration with his artists, instead of playing the traditional one-man show, I’m-the-captain-of-the-ship archetype. This results in a more experiential and meaningful interpretation of the story, thinks the matinee idol-turned-actor.

Dingdong finds directing interesting because directors, as he puts it, give form to the ideas of the writers. They make things happen like how to put the dividing of the waters in visuals. With his Communication Arts orientation, Dingdong will make abstract to something real.

Although he listens to the inputs of his fellow actors, Dingdong has to call the shot at the end of the day.

Asked what’s his opinion about many televiewers find the beginning part of the show slow and it didn’t pick up much ratings, Dingdong replies, "It had to start that way because the characters had to be established. But, the scenes are interesting now that they go to that direction where all the characters will meet."

That’s true. Aquano finally regained his memory and met Cielo. He even witnessed how Cielo used her power and helped Aquano to defeat a monster. Cielo also remembered her childhood that will lead to her true identity.

With the entry of the big stars and the characters are now grown-up, the ratings of Atlantika are picking up more. More twists and surprises viewers should watch out for.

"I heard about it," says Dingdong of the rumors that Atlantika is his last project from GMA 7. "I don’t know. The management hasn’t spoken to me. I will just enjoy what I do and what I have. I’ll take it one day at a time."